


High Altitude

by Missy



Category: Ancient Greek Religion & Lore
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Holding Hands, Humor, Introspection, Mount Olympus (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), Post-Canon, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:27:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26425630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missy/pseuds/Missy
Summary: Psyche's first time on Mount Olympus is not quite what she expected, but Eros is there to comfort her.
Relationships: Eros/Psyche (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 44
Collections: Het Swap Exchange 2020





	High Altitude

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rubynye](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rubynye/gifts).



She is quiet now, her head resting against the back of the pillar, eyes tightly closed and breathing slowly the thin air around them. The air is scented of incense as if from a funeral pyre here. Mount Olympus. A glorious place, but quite high up, and not a place intended for human lungs.

“All right?” he asks, as if he expects a different answer from her. She’s always been fine; he’s with her, and beside that he knows how to make her feel like the center of the universe without being gross about it (like Zeus. She's heard those rumors about the swan lady). Psyche brushes away a small, heart-shaped blossom as she takes Eros’ hand. His are large and warm as they always were, careful as they held onto her fingertips. Happiness filled her up as he guided her to a lounge and instructed her to sit down. “You might need more ambrosia. You aren’t made for this sort of climate. Or you won’t be, until Zeus confirms your immortality.” 

“If he says 'yes.'” She doesn’t know if he will. Zeus might decide that she’s unworthy of Eros’ love. Cast her directly into Hades and lock the key, keeping them at forever and eternally separated, just like Eurydice and Orpheus. Zeus has done worse things for weaker causes, and she’s heard a hundred tales whispered furtively under the cover of night, between children too fearful to sleep and adults trying to keep their families safe and sound.

Eros’ hand strokes the back of her chiton, feeling tensile muscles and warm skin. “Darling, if you don’t calm down, they’ll sense it. It’s like trailing blood in the water with that lot. They’ll have to say yes, you know. All they’ll do is look at us once and see how in love we are.”

“Ah yes. The gods love love. Until it gets in the way or turns out poorly and results in someone being turned into a tree, or a rock, or a goddess-forsaken mountain, or…”

“You’re such an ardent Adrestia, darling! Don’t worry! I promise you all will be well and we will manage to see another day together.”

She mumbled and groaned, scraping a hand through her long hair. He waited for her with a lovely grin, his wings fluttering against the skyline. His smile was fond but obnoxious. She snorted and ran her fingers along his bare arm and felt it warm and burnished beneath the sunlight. She’d never seen him without a tan or with a bruise.

“I promise you. Now that mother’s as close to defeated as she’s ever going to be, the two of us can get on with our lives. And we can have our own family, far beyond the influence of what mother wants for me. We’ll make a real team, you and me.”

“That’s easier said than done,” said Psyche. She knew that from experience. Her own family, her own sisters – they hadn’t been helpful, to say the least, when they were told to dump Psyche on the mount and give her up to a beast. They hadn’t shown either loyalty or faith to the Gods. It was a miracle that they hadn’t been smitten on the spot by Aphrodite. 

It still chilled Psyche to the bone that the goddess of love – the person who had deemed her such a threat and rival – was now her mother-in-law. There was no way she could possibly hope for peace to be properly brokered unless the goddess accepted the possibility of Psyche’s new authority on Olympus. She had no doubt that her husband would choose to sit beside her and stay with her, but she hoped he wouldn’t have to make the sacrifice.

“It may be easier said,” he told her, “but you should believe your husband’s word. I won’t be kept apart from you ever again. I’m not only my mother’s herald. I have supplicants of my own, you know.” 

She smiled. His pride sounded a trifle bit wounded. “Were you worried I might leave you for a sylph?”

“You weren’t enchanted with an arrow,” he pointed out. “It would be easier for you to walk away from me than it would be for me to leave you. Ever, madam, ever.”

She reached over for him and squeezed his shoulders with her small, soft hands. “I wouldn’t trade you for any other man or God or beast. Why would I want some mortal fool who would hurt me and leave me alone by the hellscape of the River Styx? I know you wouldn’t leave me, just as I would never leave you.” 

He smiled. “Did you know that I’d planned to spirit you off to some wonderful little palace in the Isles? Just you and me and a thousand little puffins hopping about on rocks. It would be a treat after the last five months.” 

She snorted. His fond complaining scared a grin out of her. “Well,” she said. “Maybe sometime in the future. If this works. But we might need it more if it doesn’t.” If she ended up being a mortal after all, and the rest of her life was finite and small next to his immortality.

He lifted his shoulder. “We have nothing but time,” he pointed out. “I’ll take you around this miserable place – around the planet. Show you off a you ought to be shown off. And then we’ll find a nest to roost in and have some children of our own.”

Psyche paused. She had no idea if their anatomies were even compatible in a way that would produce children. But then again, she understood that Athena had sprouted from Zeus’ forehead and Aphrodite had been made from clay. When one was among the gods, it didn’t matter if such things were properly compatible, let alone if they would function properly.

Psyche sighed. “Lead me to the throne room.” 

Let eternity begin, she meant. Eros took her hand and squeezed it, then got her to her feet and walked with her to meet the God who would seal their fates.


End file.
